Feel the Beat
by Kisses on the Bottom
Summary: Detective Mal Fallon is too tough and manly to join the pathetic local symphony orchestra. Or is he?
1. Chapter 1

**This one's dedicated to those who love music as much as the next guy—and for those who just want me to hurry up and write or update a fanfiction. **

**I'm almost finished with the next chapter of **_**You're My Paradise **_**and **_**The Most Important Thing. **_**Stay tuned for an update to both of those stories! For now, just read…and review? Please? **

**On a side note, I just got invited to be in my school's honor orchestra. I play viola. So yup! I'm pretty excited about that.**

**Caution: You _will_ need to know what a cello is before you read this. (The first time I heard the word **_**cello, **_**I thought it was a fancy brand of Jell-o. Shame on me! Oh, how clueless I was.)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Cause of Death. *sigh* My life would be awesome if I did.**

* * *

><p>After a long day of working, busting cases, and listening to Kai whine all day, there was nothing more that Detective Mal Fallon enjoyed than having a beer with his partner, Natara Williams. The two of them had a routine that they followed every Friday after work—first they'd go to the Drunk Tank and have a few drinks, followed by a trip to the movies and dinner at a nearby restaurant. The night ended with Mal driving Natara home.<p>

Each time he did this, he felt more and more compelled to tell her how he really felt about her. He had been harboring a rather large crush on her for what seemed like ages. How could he not? In his eyes, she was perfect—possessing long, ebony hair and mysterious hazel eyes that blended perfectly with her olive skin.

But the best thing about Natara Williams, Mal decided, was her smile.

It got him every time. Her lips would curve up into a sweet grin, and after a few seconds, she'd reveal her pearly teeth and even utter a laugh or two when she was particularly happy.

So on one Friday night during mid-September, Mal was coming up with a way to get his partner to smile. He loved seeing her do that so much that he tried everything he could to achieve his goal.

"Would you like to pick the radio station tonight?" he asked Natara as she finished buckling her seat belt after stepping outside when the movie was finished.

"Of course." Natara gave him a half-grin, causing him to smile back. She turned on the stereo system and pushed several buttons to navigate between local stations.

Mal drove off, watching her over her shoulder as she stopped at station 98.5. A quick moment passed, and the sound of a symphony orchestra flowed freely through the car. Natara threw her head back and sighed, allowing her worries to melt away at the rich tone of the string instruments and their brass and woodwind accompaniments throughout the classical song.

Mal didn't quite know what to say about this. He'd never really heard any types of music like this before.

"Natara," he broke the flow of the music. "Pardon me for asking, but what kind of music _is_ this?"

Natara looked more surprised than annoyed. "You've never listened to a symphony orchestra before, Mal?"

He couldn't lie. "No, I—I haven't."

"Well," his partner thought for a minute. "...you're crazy." She finished her thought with a laugh.

Mal groaned. "Am not. I've just never really been a fan of musical instruments. Cynthia played violin when she was in middle school and it sounded awful."

Natara frowned. "_I_ played violin in middle and high school, and _I_ didn't think it was awful."

Her partner shook his head and stared out onto the road. The moon settled above a tall building, illuminating the water below the Golden Gate Bridge with its glow. "Well, that's _your _opinion."

Natara mockingly cranked the music up louder. "My opinion is respected by millions of people on this planet and famous composers from earlier ages. Calming, classical music is a way of life, and nothing you do or say can change that."

Mal groaned again, but tried to keep back a smile. Natara was so cute when she argued.

"Well?" she expected a clever comeback.

"_Well,"_ he mockingly let the word roll around in his mouth for a long time. "People can have different views. It's not against the law."

Natara wasn't amused by this remark. She simply crossed her arms and let her gaze drift out the window. "And it's not against the law to love classical music and everything about it, either. In fact," she tossed her hair back with a quick nod. "I dated a cellist in high school."

Mal gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Cellist?"

"A person that plays the cello," Natara informed him, rolling her eyes as she did so. She sat back in her seat and reminisced. "He was first chair; absolutely brilliant."

"So?" Mal stiffly spoke.

"He had brown hair and blue eyes," Natara carried on. "And he was Mrs. Brown's favorite student besides me. He was my favorite student as well." She let out a soft smile and acknowledged the confused look on her partner's face. "Mrs. Brown was our conductor."

Mal cleared his throat to find that it was a bit dry. "What was his name?" he spluttered.

After a moment, Natara responded. "I honestly don't remember very well. Caleb, I think? I remember him going by Cal. His last name was Dallon."

The realization of the slight coincidence settled through the two of them a moment later. Mal broke the silence after a long moment.

"He was a really good cellist, huh?"

Natara nodded and tucked a few strands of her long hair behind her ear. "The best I've seen in person," she nervously admitted.

Another extremely long moment passed, and Natara reached over to turn off the music. Mal placed his hand on top of hers before she could, though.

"Leave it on," he suggested, wearing a half-grin. "It's really not that bad."

Natara returned a smile as Mal pulled into the parking lot of her apartment. She unbuckled her seat belt and gave him a quick hug before stepping outside into the semi-chilly night.

"Thanks for the ride. I had a great time." She let out a light blush that and was thankful for the dark to conceal it.

Mal casually smiled. "Anytime."

Natara walked outside and was about to close the door behind her before she turned around to face him. "By the way, I think you'd like playing a musical instrument if you tried it. It's really quite nice."

Before Mal could respond, she shut the door and walked into her apartment complex, strutting in a carefree style. The wind gently teased at her hair as she disappeared inside the building, leaving Mal outside to contemplate his thoughts.

There were two things he was absolutely sure about—first, that Natara was absolutely beautiful in every way. There was no denying that.

And second, in order to stand out even more...he was going to need a few cello lessons.


	2. Chapter 2

**UPDATE TIME OMG. Lol, sorry I haven't updated this in frikkin forever. Forgive me? *sticks out bottom lip***

**I MADE THE ORCHESTRAS THAT I TRIED OUT FOR, woo! I'm sooooosajfkjdslfkjsdfj happy. All that practicing paid off, I guess. I honestly didn't think I'd make it, because I'm in eighth grade and the mastery class I tried out for is mainly for seniors in high school, but YAY I MADE IT WOOOHOOOOOO! I also made the honor orchestra for the county. Double yay!**

**Anyway, since I'm in such a good, orchestra-y mood…**

…**review please? **

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Cause of Death, yada yada yada…

**Chapter Title: **"Of All Places"

**Warnings: **Language, that's about it. Teeny tiny sexual reference.

**Pairings: **Implied Mal/Natara (ish…Mal's trying hard!)

**Word Count: **1,578

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I'm doing this," was as all Mal could mumble as he drove to a nearby shop a few miles away. "I can't <em>believe <em>I'm damn doing this."

No matter how much he wanted to turn the car around and go straight home to watch football on television, he couldn't bring himself to. The urge, the desire, the crave for her…it was much too powerful.

Mal felt his heart thump rapidly as he began imagining how she might've looked while she played her violin: coffee-colored hair resting on one side, a half-grin worn on her pearly teeth, her fingers nimbly moving down the strings as she played…

He quickly pulled into the parking lot of Frasier's and stepped outside to take a breather. Cool air filled his lungs as he tried to clear the rather arousing image from his mind.

_Mal, just walk in, buy the damn cello and get the hell out of that freak shop._

He intended to do just that, and quickly pulled on a pair of sunglasses. He slipped a hat from the back pocket of his coat and placed it around his shaggy, brown hair that was desperately in need of a cut.

_This is stupid. _

It sure was; it seemed. Even the feeble attempt of a disguise was pathetic.

Mal sighed. He didn't want anyone he knew to recognize him, let alone ask him what he was doing in a _music _shop, of all places.

A music shop. Ridiculous.

_It's now or never, Fallon. Just go in. _

He walked to the door, unable to hear the sound of a flute from the inside; the blood in his ears was rushing too fast, too hard to recognize familiar sounds. On top of that, his heart was beating faster than the time when he had his first kiss. Hell, it was pulsing quicker than when he outran suspects and chased them down.

He pulled the door open and was greeted by the smell of lush wood and brass, an all-too-familiar scent that brought him back to the days of church choir many years back. There were several people there, browsing through music books, strumming chords on the sample instruments, and consulting private instructors.

Mal awkwardly shuffled past a young girl that looked to be about eleven years old. She had short, red hair and was busying herself by trying out a new cello. Her fingers moved quickly and nimbly, creating rich tones that made the back of Mal's neck tingle.

_If an _eleven year-old _can do it, why can't I?_

His thoughts were interrupted by an: "Excuse me, sir? Can I help you?"

Mal looked up to see a woman who looked to be in her early sixties. She had shoulder-length brown hair and wore an autumn-orange coat and trousers fastened by a matching belt. Earrings in the shape of music notes rested upon her ears as she made her way to where Mal was standing.

"Er…" Mal sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, "I s'pose you can. I'm…um, looking for a cello."

"A cello?" the woman smiled and motioned for him to come near the back of the store. "We've got plenty. What size do you need?"

Mal swallowed hard and looked around at the various string instruments around him. He saw a violin perched up on a shelf, and immediately thought of Natara again.

The picture of the way she played returned to his mind. He pictured it perfectly—there she was, a spotlight shining on her from the lights of the stage. Her eyes lit up as she picked up the instrument, making it seem so beautiful as she played her first note, captivating the audience for hours on end with her rich music. Her lips were pressed into a gentle smile as she made each note ring with a burning passion. She was perfect, too perfect, and…

_Damn. _Mal shifted uncomfortably and grabbed a nearby music book to place over his thighs in hope of concealing the bulge that was forming in his trousers.

"Uh…" he focused his attention back to the employee. "I don't know. I've never played an instrument before."

"That's all right," she smiled and motioned for him to sit down in a nearby chair. She strolled off and returned with a full sized cello. "I think this'll do the trick. You look to be about this size."

Sure enough, the cello was a perfect fit for Mal's body. He fiddled around with it for a bit, plucking the strings and fingering the bow hair. "I guess this one is fine. I'll rent it."

The woman smiled. "Great! Right this way, sir. I'll walk you through the renting process."

Mal followed her to the cash register, unable to keep his thoughts off of Natara. He almost didn't notice the familiar voice behind him that spoke rapidly.

"I accidently dropped my viola on the floor and the chin rest came out. Can you…fix it?" It was _Amy! _

Mal desperately looked around and quickly hid behind a case of violin shoulder rests as he spotted Amy consulting with an employee. He couldn't let anybody he knew see him at the _music store, _of all places.

"Of course," the employee nodded curtly. "Give me a minute." He then plucked the strings. "It's really out of tune, too. I'll get everything back in order, ma'am."

Amy grinned. "Thanks!"

Mal swallowed hard. He'd always pegged her as the type to play some sort of instrument, so it was perfectly fine if she encountered anybody she knew at the music store. But for him? That was another story. Nobody would peg Malachi Charles Fallon as a soft, musical guy.

_Soft. _Mal balled his hands into fists. _Why am I doing this again?_ he thought, groaning.

_Oh, that's right. Natara._

After a few minutes, the lady that had been helping Mal returned with a binder full of prices. She looked around for her customer, unknowing that he was hidden behind the case.

"Excuse me, miss," she walked up to Amy. "Have you seen a man with a suit, shades, and a brimmed hat?"

Amy shrugged. "Can't say that I have. Sorry!"

Mal couldn't hear anything else; the blood was rushing too fast in his ears.

Amy's helper returned with her fixed viola.

"Gosh, thanks!" she grinned. "It looks great. How much do I owe you?"

The employee led her to the cashiers and Mal emerged from his hiding place. His helper grinned.

"Oh, there you are. Your cello rental will cost thirty-nine dollars a month, plus any extra if you want private lessons."

_Private lessons. _Mal had completely forgotten that he actually had to _learn _how to play this stupid instrument as well as rent it.

"Uh," he fumbled for the right words. "I'd like some lessons."

His helper smiled. "Great! We have numerous teachers in the area that'll be able to help you. I'm one of them." With that, she handed Mal her business card.

He scrutinized it. Her name was Susan Brown, and she taught violin, viola, cello, and string bass. She charged twenty dollars per hour, which wasn't bad in comparison to other teachers in San Francisco. She had been playing in an orchestra for close to forty years, which seemed like enough experience for Mal, who nodded. "You can be my teacher."

"Fantastic!" Susan clapped once. "Which weekdays do you prefer?"

Mal thought about this. He had work from Monday through Friday, but he was free on Friday nights. "Friday will do," he nodded, "towards the nighttime. I have work during the day." Then he frowned. He and Natara usually hung out on Friday nights. That was the time he looked forward to all week, aside from Sunday night football.

But obviously, hanging out wasn't enough. Mal needed to go over and beyond to truly impress her, and this was the perfect opportunity to. After all, she was the reason he was willing to do this, right?

Susan broke his train of thought. "Does Friday at eight o'clock work?"

Mal nodded. "Yeah," he sighed, "that's fine."

"Great!" she exclaimed. "My address is on the card. See you this Friday…er, I didn't catch your name. What is it?"

Mal frowned. He was sure Amy was still lurking around, and didn't really want to say his own name aloud. But what else could he do?

"Mal," he whispered. "Mal Fallon."

Susan nodded and scribbled his name down on her schedule of students. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mal. I'll guide you to the cash register, and we'll set up the plan for renting your cello."

He just hopelessly sighed. He didn't want to do this. All he wanted was Natara. But obviously, he was still in the friend zone, which he needed to get out of, and it wouldn't be that easy to. This seemed to be an effective way to do it, though, and Mal was willing to try it. He looked at his cello resting in a corner and couldn't help but tug his lips into a smile when he noticed its radiance for the first time.

It wasn't bad looking, really. It was made out of fine wood, which seemed to glow in the lights of the store. It was perfectly crafted and full of potential, too. Even the strings glimmered, which made the cello look more dazzling than it actually was. The bow rested gracefully on the seat next to the instrument, which formed Mal's next thought.

_Maybe this won't be so bad. _

* * *

><p><strong>Kind of a boring chapter, I know. But the next chapter's about Mal's first lesson, which is…er…<strong>_**very **_**interesting.**

**New chapter of "The Most Important Thing" is coming tomorrow, and after that is "You're My Paradise", which will most likely be posted Saturday or Sunday. **

**I'm also gonna change my penname! I'm getting sick of "Barely a Brunette", so if you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to PM them to me. The person whose suggestion I choose will get a oneshot in their honor. Thanks in advance!**

**Please review for the sake of Mal's new cello (which he gives a name in the future, but that's another story for another chapter).**


End file.
